Saving Lily
by weetziebat05
Summary: Severus never joined the Dark. He flees the country to avoid the Dark side's clutches, but still they pursue him. Back in England, Lily is attacked. After suffering a partial Dementor's Kiss, can Severus save her? Is there a way to make her whole again?
1. Chapter 1

**Switzerland**

_A/N: An old idea I had that I've finally found time to write down... Updates may be sporadic, but rest assured they'll come as long as I have devoted readers! Now R&R!_

Twenty-year-old Severus Snape strode down the streets of wizarding Switzerland, intent on finishing his shopping quickly. His piercing gaze darted around, on the lookout for suspicious-looking people. Since he'd left school three years earlier, the war in Europe had swelled to epic proportions and any dissenting Slytherin had to flee the country to protect themselves from unwanted recruitment into the rogue band called the Death Eaters, or die for "treason against House principles." 

He'd come to Switzerland the year before, only giving his Fidelius-protected address to Lily Potter in a letter begging, once again, for her forgiveness. The sixth-year incident had truly broken their friendship, though Severus had realized Lily was right about Mulciber and the other Death Eaters in Slytherin and quickly and decisively broke from the group, even though it meant having to be on guard in his own House.

He strode into a small apothecary to pick up an order, practically shoving the Galleons into the shopkeeper's hands, and hurried out again. As he began the short walk home, Severus stopped to look over his shoulder every few minutes and restraining himself from running whenever a shadow took him by surprise. He finally made it home, locking and barring the door before reactivating the Anti-Intruder wards he'd added as a precaution, though it was hardly needed.

Mentally berating himself, Severus sank into a comfy armchair by the fire with a Potions journal. It was becoming increasingly hard to sell his work, even under false names,since the Carrows and a few other Death Eaters were apparently given the task of finding the young Potions Master and forcing him to brew for the Dark side. Two years earlier he had had to abandon his flat in London and a few of his possessions when they'd found him and nearly killed him for refusing to give them his services. Severus fingered the ragged scar Bellatrix Lestrange had given him on his left forearm just before he had managed to Summon his most important things and Disapparate, ending up in Spain with an eyebrow missing. 

_It's what you get for trying to Apparate out of the country without a clear destination,_ Severus scolded himself as he ran a finger over the still-sparse eyebrow. Once he'd Obliviated two Muggle tourists inside the chapel he appeared in, Severus had written to Gringotts to withdraw his meager assets and moved to Switzerland, which was famous for its neutrality in Muggle and Wizarding matters. Luckily, he found an English-speaking wizarding community and moved there; he protected his flat with the Fidelius charm he'd once researched at Hogwarts for Charms homework. He broke all ties with England save for Lily, whom he still tentatively regarded as a friend though she'd never explicitly forgiven him.

An odd pecking noise at the window startled him out of his reverie. Realizing it was an owl, Severus opened the window and took the letter from it, feeding it an old bit of toast before closing the window and ensuring the Communication charm stayed intact instead of merging with the Fidelius and other wards, rendering it useless.

_Severus-_

_It really is stupid to hold on to such a petty grudge for so long. I forgive you. I do hope you forgive me, as well, since I really shouldn't have let this go on for so long._

_It seems that You-Know-Who has decided to target us along with the Longbottoms, because of some prophecy stating that one of us is raising a child who could defeat him. This is how we found out we have a traitor in the group— barely three weeks after Dumbledore told us all that, James and Frank Longbottom were both targeted in an attack that thankfully failed._

_Could you key a Portkey into your wards? I want to make an emergency Portkey should the Death Eaters find us, so that I can get my family someplace safe. My son Harry is just a year old, and you know Apparition isn't a good idea so young._

_Thanks,_

_Lily_

Severus read and reread the letter, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Oh, how he'd missed her letters, with the extravagant signature and tiny drawing of a flower at the end! He traced the elegant loop of the y before drawing his wand and keying in a Portkey. Tapping the parchment twice, Severus was able to see a small amount of soft amber colored residue from her magic, and added it to the wards so that only a Portkey activated by Lily would be allowed passage.

Severus couldn't help but scoff at Voldemort's idiocy. He claimed so much power, and he was afraid of a child? With so much power, Severus figured the man should know that prophesies were not destinies. Shrugging, he turned away from the wardstone in a shadowy corner of the flat and sat back down, picking up the journal he'd dropped.

Perhaps he'd make more Veritaserum to sell under a pseudonym. Severus sighed. All this hiding was no good for his pocketbook.

&&&

It was December 16th, four months after he keyed Lily into the wards, when all hell broke loose.

Severus had gone out shopping again, this time with various concealment charms on distinguishing features and Polyjuicing a Muggle to boot. 

He had an old, sturdy basket full of glass vials filled with what looked like water. Eyes darting to dark corners, Severus strode toward the apothecary to sell his stock and buy supplies. 

"Hello Mr. Withers, what d'you need today?" The British shopkeeper's teenage daughter walked to the counter, wiping her hands on a dirtied rag. Severus started slightly seeing a large man facing a wall stocked with basic Potions ingredients, and then put the basket carefully on the counter.

"I want to sell my potions, and pick up the ingredients I ordered from your father," Severus said, his voice thicker than usual with an Altering charm. The girl nodded and peeked inside the basket.

"Ah, Veritaserum! The English ministry's buying all our stock, they are, what with that dreadful war going on. Ah well, we profit in small ways, yes?" The girl prattled on about the wide variety of potions currently in demand while she carted off the basket to the back. She returned, the basket now laden with a paper-wrapped package. "It's quite fresh—the paper's keeping the basket from getting wet or dirtied," she answered to Severus' quizzical look. The man poring over the belladonna grunted, making Severus' shoulders tense in response. 

Suddenly panicked, Severus muttered his thanks and placed payment on the counter, striding out of the apothecary before the girl could call him back for his change. 

The girl merely shrugged and pocketed the seven Knuts. 

"He always that flighty?" the man asked, his gaze lingering at the doorway. The girl nodded.

"Poor Mr. Withers—he says his wife and kid were killed by the Dark Side, y'see, so he's awful nervous when he does his shopping," she explained. "He didn't even get to see them; the Ministry told him the scene was too awful to let him in." The man grunted and flipped a Sickle onto the counter, striding out of the shop. Again, she shrugged and pocketed the Sickle, shaking off the funny feeling the second man had given her.

Outside, Severus broke into a run, clutching the basket and parcel to his chest. _The man looked like Bulstrode…_

The sound of following footsteps jarred Severus to the core, and he glanced back as he rounded a corner. His stomach dropped.

The man closing in on him definitely was Bulstrode, and he was onto Severus.

All he could do was run, and hope to make it inside the flat in time.


	2. The Very Worst Thing

**The Very Worst Thing**

_A/N: The first chapter's a lot of filler,I know... This one's more interesting. I promise. Well, let me know what you think, so R&R! I'm open to constructive criticism._

Severus' legs and chest burned from the exertion. The man was so close Severus could hear him panting for breath. He darted in an unpredictable weaving pattern to avoid any spells the man might cast, but was surprised to hear nothing but grunts behind him. Desperate, Severus clawed at his robes for his wand, relief flooding through his as his long fingers brushed against the familiar wood. He pointed it behind him and panted, "_Petrificus Totalus!" _

He heard the man curse—the spell missed. Severus tried once again, and was pleased to hear a crash as the man went down in a pile of rubbish. Severus stopped and collapsed, gasping for air. His legs trembled when he tried to stand, so he settled for leaning against the dingy alley wall to let his legs settle. 

Ruben Bulstrode had been Petrified with a slight grimace on his face, making his countenance that much less pleasant to look at. Severus made his way over slowly, feeling as though he'd been hit with a Jelly-Legs Jinx, and moved the left sleeve of his captive up with the tip of his wand. He recoiled at the sight of the Dark Mark burned into his former Housemate's skin, then tightened his lips as he steadied himself against the wall, the end of his wand now pointed at the man's forehead.

"_Obliviate!"_ Severus whispered. "You received information that Severus Snape was in Australia, hiding under several enchantments. Your source was a valid one. You see no reason to look for Severus Snape in Europe any longer." Severus cast the counter-curse after casting a mild sleeping charm, and made his escape.

&&&

The same day, Lily Potter was just outside of England trying to busy herself by cooking. The protective charms on the house increased the boredom tenfold inside, as the Potters weren't even allowed to attend Order meetings conducted at the Longbottom house, which was also under as many safeguards as the Potter home. 

Dumbledore became increasingly edgy with every appearance, and today was the day his worries were voiced.

"Lily—are you sure about having Mister Black as your Secret Keeper? Isn't that a bit obvious?" Dumbledore asked ten minutes after arriving in resplendent aqua-colored robes to give her the minutes of the last Order meeting. Lily gave him a coy smile in response.

"That's the beauty of it, Professor," she answered, her eyes flicking toward her husband and child in the other room. She would say no more on the subject.

Professor Dumbledore left the Potter home troubled, but hopeful. Lily's response could only mean they'd changed Secret Keepers—but to whom? Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were likely suspects, but there was something he didn't like about the situation that he just couldn't quite put his finger on. He decided to let the matter rest, and turned his mind to other things as he arrived at his office and a pile of paperwork greeted him.

&&&

"Spit it out, you filthy rat!" A swift kick brought the messenger to his knees.

Peter Pettigrew quivered at Lord Voldemort's feet. He kept his terrified gaze down at the stone floor, willing himself to block out the sounds of jeering Death Eater. 

"The… the Potters. They m-made me their S-secret Keep-per. N-number fift-teen Godric's Hollow," he stammered, screwing his eyes shut tightly as his conscience turned on him, railing against what he'd done.

Lord Voldemort stood impressively in front of his followers, scanning the crowd. They were all here save for Ruben Bulstrode, who had expected to finish his mission by the end of the week.

"We strike tonight, my fellows, before this fool can give us away and the wards change!" Voldemort announced. The Death Eaters cheered as Peter cried bitterly, forgotten, on the unforgiving stone floor.

&&&

A loud buzz sounded inside the Potter house, making James look outside in alarm. "Lily—it's him! And dementors! Run, take Harry and run!" James grabbed his wand and sent a messenger Patronus to Dumbledore before the despair and repressed memories threatened to overwhelm him. 

The front door burst open as Lily rushed down the stairs against James' wishes and hit a wall of intense cold. Terror robbed her voice as five Dementors glided in, making the warm house feel like the dankest dungeon. Voldemort strode in after them, seemingly unaffected. Harry went limp in her arms, and Lily could not even cry out as James struggled against the Dementors and lost. She mustered enough energy to turn away as the fiends performed the Kiss on him and Voldemort cast the Killing Curse simultaneously.

"Your turn, dear Lily," Voldemort hissed. The hooded Dementors looked up at her, and one with silvery trim on his tattered robes slithered toward her threateningly. Lily was crippled under the effect of the Dementors, and poor Harry had stopped whimpering in her lax arms. 

"This is almost too easy," Voldemort purred. He leveled his wand at Harry and motioned the leading Dementor forward. Scabbed, ice-cold arms gripped her, forcing her to let go of Harry, who slid to the floor without a sound. Distantly she remembered her Portkey as the horrid mouth latched onto hers and she escaped with only a vestige of her soul left.

When the Killing Curse backfired on Voldemort at the same moment Lily disappeared, he was ripped from his body; the Dementors, having never seen such power, fled.

Harry cried as Sirius arrived closely on the heels of Dumbledore and Hestia Jones. Gently, Sirius picked him up, his whole body shaking as he mourned the loss of one friend and disappearance of another.

&&&

Severus jumped up in alarm as the telltale _whoosh_ of a portkey sounded. Realizing it must be Lily, Severus jumped up in suppressed excitement and turned around to greet her.

He recoiled in surprise. Instead of the strong, vivacious Lily he was used to, there was a curled shell of a woman he loved huddled on the floor. Concerned, he rushed over to her and felt her ice-cold skin. He recognized the blank look in her eyes, and felt as though his insides had disappeared.

A Dementor had taken Lily's soul.


	3. Despair

**Despair**

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Ideas and concrit are welcomed and appreciated. For those who were unclear about the letters Lily and Severus sent back and forth--the Marauders did not know about them; it was between Lily and Severus only. Likewise, knowledge of the Portkey was limited to Lily only._

Something inside Severus broke completely, and he sank to his knees in despair. "Oh, Merlin… oh, Lily…" he murmured, taking her in his arms and burying his face in her hair, rubbing her arms to make them warm again.

"Tuney?" Severus looked at Lily, shocked—he'd always heard Kiss victims seemed to lose their voice, only grunting in hunger or pain after losing the very thing that made them human. He turned Lily toward him, searching her dulled eyes for life, but the brief spark disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. Her head lolled forward once Severus relaxed his grip, and he realized just how crippled Lily really was.

Without her soul for her body to adequately interpret desire, Lily's body could no longer respond to much external stimuli nearly as well as it should.

* * *

"Any ideas where she'd gone?" Sirius asked once again, bouncing baby Harry on his lap as their eyes followed Dumbledore's pacing in his office. He rubbed his red-rimmed eyes and stared intently at the older man, hoping for answers. "Do you know if she's alive?"

Dumbledore sighed. "It's possible the Dementors took her, Mister Black, and I fear her soul has probably been taken by this point if that is the case," he said sadly, turning to look out into the dawning sky. He shook his aged head regretfully. "I don't mean to be reproachful at such a time, mind, but I wish I had known about the change in Secret Keepers," he added as an afterthought. Sirius' face immediately hardened.

"How were we supposed to know Peter was the mole in the group? You can't insist on knowing everything that occurs in our lives, Dumbledore!" Sirius raked a hand roughly through his hair, his grip tightening momentarily on Harry, who stayed silent. Dumbledore turned toward Sirius with an equally hard look on his face.

"I never claimed to know everything, Mister Black, and may I remind you we're in the middle of a war? I'm trying to keep everyone alive!" he said coldly.

"Oh, fine job you're doing; forgive me if I point out Harry's a bloody orphan now," Sirius scoffed, his eyes looking suspiciously wet as a canine-like snarl overtook his features.

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes, looking every bit the formidable wizard who defeated Grindelwald. "And forgive _me_, Mister Black, if I point out that you as good as killed them by agreeing to the insane idea of switching Keepers!" Immediately Dumbledore looked regretful as Sirius reeled back as though he'd been slapped.

Deeply offended, he stood and adjusted Harry to the other hip, glaring defiantly at Dumbledore. "If that's how you feel, Dumbledore, then I guess I'd better start atoning for my obvious sins by caring for Harry," he stated stiffly, moving toward the door.

Dumbledore stood in his way. "Harry will be safer with blood family. I cannot let you take him,"

Sirius stared at the older wizard incredulously. "You're joking, right? Harry, stay with the Dursleys? Lily told me they hate magic! There is no way he's staying with them. I'm his godfather, and he's staying with me!" Sirius pushed roughly past the stunned headmaster, slamming the office door behind him so forcefully Fawkes let out a petulant chirp.

Dumbledore sighed, feeling the energy drain out of him as he sank into the high-backed chair behind his grand desk. He covered his face with his hands, feeling overwhelmed. Dumbledore eyed the beautiful phoenix through a gap in his fingers and asked him, "Was I too hard on him, or should Harry stay with Lily's sister?"

The phoenix tilted his head, giving Dumbledore what seemed to be an unusually stern look for a bird. Dumbledore sighed. "I suppose the boy _should_ stay with familiar faces," he consented. Fawkes preened in response, picking out a bent feather.

Dumbledore sighed again, staring out of the window across from the desk but seeing nothing.

* * *

Three weeks passed and Severus held a bit of hope for Lily—she could speak, though it was limited to short words and seemingly random phrases. She'd recognized him three days after her arrival as he gingerly bathed her, valiantly ignoring his rising lust.

"Sev," she'd said softly, her eyes softening. Severus dropped the sponge in surprise, but the moment was gone; that small piece of Lily had recessed once again. Sighing, Severus picked up the sponge and finished scrubbing her back gently, his hand moving in slow circles as he thought furiously about what he could do for her.

Dementors had never left even a speck of soul inside a Kissed victim before, so there was no precedent to follow. Severus noted she would have random moments of lucidity before sinking into hollowness again, staring into the space blankly. She could speak, though it was rare for her to do so outside of a lucid moment. Usually those moments consisted of her seemingly reliving a past memory, though besides recognizing him she'd once laughed when a Daily Prophet owl had nipped him exceptionally hard.

_Maybe there is enough memory there for me to see,_ Severus thought, a little uneasy about using Legilimency against such a helpless person. He lifted Lily out of the bath with slight difficulty and dried her off, wrapping her in a thick robe against the chill of the flat and combing out her hair almost reverently, remembering a time when Lily had insisted on teaching him how to braid her hair.

"_Sev, please? Tuney won't do it anymore because she says I'm a freak, and Mum is too busy. I can't do it right myself," Lily pleaded. Twelve-year-old Severus sighed and nodded._

"_Don't you dare even tell Mary; that Potter and his little gang would have a field day with this," he muttered, sitting behind her as she smiled happily and fanned her auburn hair out behind her like a sheet in the wind._

_Lily smiled again radiantly. "I won't," she promised. She braided a small section of her hair, careful to let Severus see how it was done, and then undid it. "You try," she suggested, turning her back to him and shaking out her curly hair._

_Suddenly nervous, Severus cracked his knuckles before starting, making Lily shiver—she always insisted he'd give himself arthritis, even after learning wizards were unlikely to develop the Muggle disease. Hesitantly, he began to braid, careful not to pull too tight and cause her pain._

"_Oh Sev, it's wonderful! See, I knew you could do it!" Lily exclaimed, feeling the clumsy braid Severus had been able to produce._

Severus shook himself out of the memory and frowned slightly when he realized he'd braided Lily's hair. Thankfully, years of Potions-making made his fingers quick and deft, more so than in youth, and this time around the braid looked as it should, instead of having odd kinks throughout that Lily insisted were "just fine."

He walked around to face her, crouching down to be level with her eyes. Nervous, he drew his wand and pointed it directly between Lily's unfocused eyes. "_Legilimens,_" he whispered.

Severus was shocked when his vision faded to white all-around, with no emotions or memories playing before his eyes. Determined, he pushed forward, walking further into the expansive background of nothingness, looking for any sign of Lily. A flicker of wariness flooded through him suddenly, and he sighed in relief—there _was_ something here, after all! He pushed on and on, until he saw a dot in the distance.

Emboldened, Severus ran towards the dot. Memories trickled into his mind one by one, mainly of Lily's early life. A few memories of her Hogwarts years appeared, though not nearly as many as what should have been there.

Suddenly, Severus was hit by almost palpable fear. He tried to turn back, guessing it was the Dementor attack, but it was no use—Lily's fear was so intense it was holding him in place, forcing him to watch.

Severus pointed his wand at the Dementors as he watched them take James' soul and move to Lily, even though he knew he could not be harmed. He noticed the unusual silver trim around the Kissing Dementor's robes, and saw Lily touch her wand to the Portkey a little too late. He saw Lord Voldemort's eyes widen in surprise as she disappeared, his jaw slack in surprise, before he was abruptly thrown out of her mind so forcefully he fell backwards onto the floor, knocking the wind out of him.

He stood, shaking from the chill a mere memory had given him.


	4. Strategy

**Strategy**

_A/N: It's been forever, I know. I want this to be a really powerful story, so it takes that much longer to write. Plus, I'm working on an original thing (url in my profile) that's also taking up my time--never mindupcoming finals. . R&R!_

"I went to Switzerland and, while I didn't find Snape, I got information that he is currently hiding in Australia. I hear he is too cowardly to come back to Europe, and that the Americans asked him too many questions. It is my guess that if he leaves Australia, he will go to Canada," Bulstrode reported, his voice slightly muffled as he delivered his report beneath a thick scarf. Lucius Malfoy seemed to ponder the information for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Good work, Bulstrode. I shall see to it that you are well-compensated for your troubles and expenses," he drawled. "In the meantime, talk to some of the Knockturn Alley patrons and see if anyone has heard anything of our Lord. All this rubbish about a mere child defeating the Dark Lord—it's impossible. He must have somehow been injured and fled—we need to find him. Merlin help us all if he were to think we weren't doing anything to find him," Malfoy muttered.

"So it's true? The Dark Lord disappeared?" Bulstrode asked disbelievingly, taking an unconscious step forward. Malfoy's thin lips twisted into a disapproving yet delicate frown.

"So it would seem. It is of no consequence. We will attack the Longbottoms as soon as we can gain entry, as planned, and we will search for the Potter bitch and her whelp and kill them both. Now more than ever we must represent the power and unwavering loyalty of the Dark side… If Dumbledore and the other Light wizard think we are without structure, they will easily swoop in and undercut us all. I cannot allow that to happen," Lucius said, grinding his teeth together. His conniving mind was working through different strategies, discarding the ones he deemed too fallible and pondering the worthy ones. "As the Dark Lord's second-in-command, I will continue to fight. And you? Will you abandon your House and your people?"

Bulstrode drew himself up impressively, his eyes flashing. "Of course not! What would you like me to do? I can pass on the information of Snape's whereabouts to the Carrows, if you'd like _them _to continue searching," Bulstrode retorted, his dislike for the siblings coloring his voice quite darkly.

Lucius paced a bit, his cane rapping out a staccato beat on the stone floor. "No. I want _you_ to find him. Make him pay for his betrayal. I want him at my feet, begging for mercy and forgiveness."

Bulstrode nodded, then awkwardly bowed and left the room. He began calculating the costs of a Portkey to Australia, and wondering which deliciously torturous methods he would use to break the resisting Potions master's will.

* * *

Severus paced around his flat, occasionally shooting calculating looks at Lily, who was staring out of the single window complacently. He sighed explosively, running a hand through limp hair laden with various potions fumes.

"This isn't fair," he burst out to Lily's nonresponsive form. "You ignore me for years, and you contact me when you _so conveniently_ needed my help? And now look at you. I _told_ you to leave Potter alone, but you wouldn't listen. Did you do it to spite me?" Poisonous anger rushed through him, and he 

picked up an empty vial and threw it across the room, slightly mollified as it shattered into a million pieces.

Lily whimpered.

"Stop it," Severus growled. He pointed at the mess on the floor. "That's my heart. That's what _you_ did to it. You. I called you that word _once_, Lily. And I pretended not to see you hiding smiles when Potter and his gang of brats picked on me! And here you are, my responsibility, because _you_ couldn't stay away from Potter. Now look what happened—I saw the Prophet—your husband dead, and your child the Dark side's target! As if things weren't bad enough for me, you throw yourself and your welfare at my feet."

Lily whimpered again, and Severus felt a twinge of remorse, but shoved that away. Even if Lily didn't rightly know what he was saying, he needed to get the years of pain off of his chest. Truth be told, he almost preferred it this way. Lily couldn't burst into tears and make him feel guilty for things that weren't his fault, nor could she yell at him and throw things into his face.

"That's it. You're going back. I'm getting you a Portkey back to England—let Dumbledore worry about how to take care of you while I worry about saving my arse," he muttered vehemently, mentally trying to calculate the cost of an international Portkey. "I can't do anything for you. I don't know how to get your soul back."

The spark left Lily's eyes and she sinked back into complete nothingness. Severus felt another flicker of guilt, but quickly smothered it.

_I have a right to be angry,_ he thought, whipping out a piece of parchment and a quill. _She never once responded until she needed me._

Severus chewed the end of his quill thoughtfully, nervously, trying to think of a way to write what needed to be said.

* * *

Harry cooed and giggled in his high chair, making Remus smile wistfully. It was only too wrong the poor child had next to no family now—the Potters had been a small family, bearing one or two children at a time, leaving Harry completely alone. As for Lily's side—well, Lily had been quite adamant about Harry staying away from her sister Petunia, so there was nothing there. Harry truly was an orphan, in all senses of the word.

The front door of the dank building opened and shut, bringing Remus back to the present as Sirius strode in, an angered look on his face. "That dirty rat's nowhere to be found," he growled.

Remus started, then shot to his feet in anger. "You said you were going to talk to Dumbledore! Sirius, you idiot, what were you thinking? I know you; you'd get yourself arrested if you find him, and then what will Harry do? I'm not allowed to keep him! For Merlin's sake, have you forgotten I'm a WEREWOLF??" Remus roared, his wolfish nature increasing the ire coursing through his veins.

Sirius' expression darkened. "I just want to talk to him; that's all…" Remus rolled his eyes.

"Bloody liar. You couldn't hold yourself back, and you know it. If you get locked up, what happens to Harry? He goes to the Muggles! Is that what you want, to send him to a family where he will be hated for something he can't control?" Remus demanded, a snarl overtaking his usually mellow features. His amber eyes flashed dangerously as Sirius seemed to deflate, finally understanding the consequences of his planned actions.

"Alright, alright, I get it. Calm down, Moony," Sirius said, remembering how close it was to the full moon, and regretting making the usually-complacent man angry.

Harry, who had been completely quiet during the exchange, started to cry. Sirius picked him up in a heartbeat, gently rocking the child until he stilled and fell asleep.

The bright amber of Remus' eyes seemed to dim to hazel as he relaxed, satisfied now that Sirius wouldn't run off and do anything stupid. Remus firmly believed in karma—Peter would get what was coming to him.


End file.
